[on tusk riders]
>OK, but isn't this Gouger supposed to obey an earth goddess? what happened
>to her? And if Aram-ya-Udram is dead, who controls the demon nowadays?
The Earth Goddess that "sent" the boar is probably Kerofin. But the Boar was in no way acting on orders of Kerofin, it was doing what it felt like doing.
As for the demon, the tusk riders control it like Aram did of old. Look at the Orlanthi worship of Mastakos - even though Mastakos was taken from the Sea Gods, he still serves the Orlanthi loyally.
Adam Betteridge:
>What are dwarves doing at sea ?
Getting sea-sick. Have you seen what the rolling waves does to their earth senses?
Alex Ferguson:
Me>> The Quest was attempted by one of the Princes of
>> the Ten Tests who *succeeded* in the goal of the Antirius quest
>> (ie nick the Orb of the Eye Lord Elgin style) and it hasn't been
>> attempted since AFAIK.
>While I know of no evidence for a large-scale Antirian HoG quest
>"recently", it's impossible to say whether ritual versions are carried
>out regularly, and if so, in emulation of which part of the myth cycle.
>I'd suspect "yes" and "both", though, myself.
I say no myself after having thought about the History of the Hills of Gold Quest. From the Antirian PoV, the Hills of Gold is simply where one of the Imperial Regalia is (or rather where one of the thingz that ought to be part of the Imperial Regalia but actually belongs to Someone Else).
From the Local PoV, originally, during the deepest part of Winter, the Elmalus went up the hill, got the crap kicked out of him, perserved, and reached the Grand Order at the top of the Hill (cf KoS where it is described as a blazing mirror of fire). From this, he is warmed up, given the spark of life and heads down the hill to give the spark to his people.
Enter the Third Prince of the Ten Tests.
He hears about the Grand Order and believes it to be the Orb of the Eye sought by Vanyoramet Long Ago. He Quests for it and reaches the Top of the Hill. There he takes the Order and places it over his head (in imitation of Imperial Fashion as shown on the Gods Wall). Thereupon he goes below and the Vanchites bow and join his banner.
Henceforth an Elmali or Yelmalian who completes the quest will be stone cold when he reaches the top of the hill. Instead of recieving the Spark of Life for his people, he has become immortal, by way of surviving in the face of the worst.
But from the Antirian PoV, there is no mythic need for him to repeat the Quest since the Orb is no longer _there_ at the Hill of Gold. To him, it will be the equivalent of going to Antioch to look for the Spear of Longius after the First Crusade.
IMO natch.
>The HoG myth could be seen as a stage of
>a Resurrection myth for Antirians,
This may be true but it does raise the incongrous spectacle if they have to repeat Antirius's first failure (ie make a tactical retreat and come back safe and sound).
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